understand oneself,manage ones emotions be empathetic be a team player and have positive attitude
Kerri ,
I agree as well. Everything is contagious. Positive attitudes and negative ones. Stay Positive!
Philip Campbell
Although all soft skills are important, working with integrity and having a postitive attitude are the most important in my opinion.
I believe that soft skills will often go hand in hand with each other. I think that teamwork and integrity is a good example. Both from a co-worker stand point and a teaching stand point both are very important. Your co-workers depend on you to do the right thing and to work well with them and support them. Your student depend on you to do the right thing by giving them the right material in a format they can relate to in an atmosphere that they are comfortable in. They also depend on you to work with them and guide them to the right outcome.
I believe that the most important soft skills are being a good listener and able to give constructive feedback. As a clinical instructor, I always make an effort to listen to the students and teach in a way that is constructive and positive. Learning is so much more effective when it takes place in personalized and positive interactions.
Listening to me is very important. Truely understanding what is being said. Taking that comprehension and utilizing it in the situation. This will enable you to be a helpful instructor and a good coworker.
We've all heard that it's better to see the glass half full instead of half empty. And in the workplace, that type of positive thinking can go a long way. An overall positive outlook leads to an overall positive attitude, and that can be a valuable asset in work environments. The key to having a winning attitude is in how you tackle obstacles and challenges that come your way. For example, instead of complaining about a stressful workload, think about it as an opportunity to show off your abilities by getting through it productively and efficiently.
Rosy,
When we say, "being a good listener", what are some things that we can do to show students that we are listening?
Philip Campbell
being a good listener and keeping construtcive criticism positive
John,
Positive seems to be the best way to handle any situation. Relating and handling other peoples emotions is more difficult, especially since we do not have control over them.
Philip Campbell
I think the most important soft skill for success in the workplace is really the application of the golden rule; treat others the way you want to be treated.
Instructors and employees that are respectful of others will garner respect themselves. Those that are disrespectful and seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others usually end up paying for it by being disliked and hated by their peers, bosses and students. In the workplace, many times respect could simply mean staying silent or not getting involved with an issue that does not pertain to them. Other times it may take the form of speaking one's mind in a way that is not hurtful or damaging to others.
Able to relate and handle the different emotions of students and co workers. Being positive!
I think maintaining a positive attitude would be the most important because everything else flows from this point.
It's hard to pinpoint one soft skill that is more important than others. I think it can be divided into two areas, how you run your class (attention to detail) and how you interact/motviate your students so (listening and motivating skills)
I think some of the most important soft skills an instructor can posess would be controlling negative emotions in the class both with the learners and ourselves. I have found times when I want to (scream) emote, I have to calm down and by replacing that emotion with another or redirecting the discussion I can manage the class energy and my own in a more positive direction. Nothing derails the class outcomes like distracting emotion.
In my opinion it's all about attitude. If a person knows how to address situations without it escalating to conflict it makes it easier to work with that person. I have seen many very intelligent and qualified people being dismissed from their job because of the lack of communication skills necessary to resolve issues.
I have always liked the interaction with students. sharing with them the school policies and what steps they can take to accomplish tje goals that are set before them. I am a great motivator with the students are what is happening around the school and how they can get jobs, join a club, get more active in the culinary field.
As many of you all have stated I believe that being a good listener is a very important soft skills for the educational value of your students. Being open to listening to your students and their compliments, concerns, criticism, and needs is very important in their comfort level and confidence in your teachings.
I believe there a few key soft skills that can go a long way toward breeding success in the workplace or classroom. First, a leader must lead by setting a good example, whether we are talking about work ethic, understanding and respecting others, or having a positive attitude. I also believe body language and appearance are important as well.
Soft skills seem to be more important as time goes by. Decades ago, teachers were more cold and unpersonable. Within the last 10 or so years, instructors need to master more people skills to relate to an ever changing student population. One of the most importatn soft skill is an attention to detail. This can range from a classroom surroundings to a student that needs extra assistance but does not want to ask for it. Knowing the level that each student is at in regards to understanding the information is another point in relation to soft skills.
